Cripps Pemberton Greenish has advised longstanding client EKC Group on its acquisition of Ashford College and Canterbury Spring Lane.

The move will strengthen EKC Group’s education and training provision in East Kent equipping local students with the skills and knowledge needed to prepare them for successful careers or further study.

Chief Executive Officer of EKC Group, Graham Razey, said: “Having both Ashford College and the Canterbury Spring Lane campus within our Group will enable us to better serve our local communities, ensuring that we are able to truly deliver on the skills priorities needed to enable us to achieve our mission, of enhancing the social and economic prosperity of the communities we serve. Despite the current challenges we face, we know that our county’s employers will be well positioned to face them, and I am really proud that we’ll be there to support the whole of East Kent’s recovery once the UK has beaten coronavirus.”

EKC Group’s Chief Strategy Officer, Paul Sayers, said: “Delivering this transaction was a highly complex project, with a range of different elements to it. Chief amongst these were the legal aspects, many of which were extremely challenging. The team at Cripps Pemberton Greenish worked closely alongside us throughout, demonstrating a high calibre of expertise and professionalism. They have been valued partners on our growth journey and once again helped us to achieve a successful outcome. We could not have asked any more of them.”